Tramcar



lJune 17 1924.

C. P. ROSS TRAMCAR Patented June 17, 1924,

UNITED .STATES CLYDE P. RSS, OF CHICAGO, ILLIITIS,`

'ramona'.

Application led August 30, 1922. Serial No. 585,118.

T all whom it may cof/worn Be it known that I, CLYDE P. Ross, a citi-v zen of the United States, residing at Chicago,

in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tramcars, of which the Jfollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an automatic dump-` ing tram car and to an adjustable dump cam 1o adapted to be adjustably positioned along the path of the tram, thus permitting control of the point of discharge of the material contained in the tram. Other objects will appear from time to time throughout the speciication and drawings.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a side view of the dumping installation;

Figure 2 is a detail view of the dump cam illustrating the cooperation of the tram bottom therewith. z

Like parts are designated by like characters throughout. p

A. is any suitable chute or source of supply for which coal or other materials are dumped into the tram B, which rides on the wheels C along the horizontal tracks D. The

outward bottom oic the tram Bis closed by a swinging gate E pivoted as at E and having an arcuate bottom F provided with cam engaging rollers G. It will be understood th at when the gate E hangs, the arcuate portion F snugly closes the bottom of the tram car. The tram B is moved along the track D, for example h v the cable II which may be actuated by any suitable power source not herein shown. Beneath the track D is a second, cam supporting track I. Upon this track rides the earn T which may be constructed as a single casting or in any other suitable way and which has a domed or bumped back J comprising an upward curve or incline J2 at either end, together with a substantially horizontal portion therebetween. The cam is mounted on the wheels K which ride on the track I and is provided with any suitable clamp L, herein diagrammatically illustrated` which serves to grip the track rail in response to the rotation of the screw M, the clamp being formed of two opposed track engaging portions which 'may' be loosened or drawn together about the upper iiange ofr the track by the rotation of said screw.

It will be realized that while I have illustrated an operative mechanism, many changes might be made in the size, number, rshape and relation of parts without departf ing from the spirit of my invention.

The use and operation of my invention are as follows: n

I illustrate a tram car in Iwhich any material, for example, coal, may be laterally transported. yThe invention is illustrated in connection with horizontal transportation but applicant does not wish to limit himself to a horizontal track or a horizontal movement of the carriage. A double system of tracks is used, an upper track upon which the conveying tram car rides and a lower track along which the cam is ad] usted. Obviously other means rthan a separate track might be used for Lpositioning the tram. In coal dumping, for example, the point in which it is desired to dump coal from a lateral conveyor frequently changes and I therefore provide a cam which may be positioned at any point along the path of travel of the tram. It is then clamped at the point of use, to prevent shifting in response to contact ot the tram. When the tram is loaded with coal, the gate E with the arcuatel platefF closes the bottom of the hopper shaped car, but the gate is held in position merely by gravity and without a n positive lock. When thetram car is conveyed along the track D to the point where the cam is positioned, the roller G rides up on the slope or incline J2 and the gate E and plate F are therefore rotated into` the position shown by the dottedlines in Figure 1 and in second position in Figure 2. The load of the tram car is released, when ythe cam is reached and the length of the cam-is suficient to hold the gate in raised position long enough to permit the escape of the entire load.v even if the operator does not stop the tram car over the cam.

I claim:

In a coal handling installation a coal delivery means, a track underlying said delivery means, an open-topped coal conveying bucket mounted upon `said track and means for conveying it therealong, means for limiting the inward travel of said bucket when it reaches a point aligned beneath said coal deliveryn'ieans, a radius gate mounted beneath said carriage, and adapted normally to close its bottom, a second track underlying and aligned with said first `mentioned track, a gate tripping cam carriage mounted thereon and means for adjusting its position on said track` said cam carriage comprising an inclined surface at either end, an intermediate 10,*substantially horizontal surface connecting said inclined surface, a cam engaging element upon said gate, aligned with said cam carriage and adapted to overrideit and open the gate, in response to relative movement of the conveying carriage and the cam carriage.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 23rd day of August, 1922.

CLYDE P. ROSS. 

